Good Day
"Wake up, Ab'ilio," urged Estela, shaking me softly. "Ab'ilio, you must wake up."
No, I thought, but I opened my eyes.
There was Estela, me noiva, smiling at me. The rays of sunlight from the little window wreathed her long dark hair like a halo. "Bom dia," she murmured affectionately. "Faz sol."
I looked around my bedroom groggily. "What time is it?" I asked. "Midday," Estela answered. "You slept for a long time—it's a good thing today is Saturday, or you would be in trouble."
"Sim," I agreed absently. Saturday was the day when I was given a couple extra hours to rest—I was due at work today at 2 o'clock. My work was hard. I was an intern to the local hospital now—when Estela and I had become engaged, her Pai had insisted that I quit my job and come to work for him. Me noiva had been happy when I acquiesced: it was proof of how much I loved her.
"You should get ready," Estela hinted. Yawning, I nodded and sat up. "Faz sol hoje," I imitated, touching the light on her hair.I took her hand in mine and kissed it; then I got out o and went to my dresser.
"Do you want something to eat?" Estela asked as I emerged, fully dressed, from the bathroom. "Acho que não," I answered, adding, "I'll eat something before I get to the hospital." She smiled and kissed my cheek. "You should go," she said. "Adeus." Grinning in return, I echoed the farewell and walked out the door, heading for my car.
As my car reached the highway, I looked a little east and surveyed the familiar Jesus statue with contentment. It was large, larger than any building in the city, and sat atop Corcovado Mountain. The figure of Jesus was smiling with a solemn look about him, and his arms stretched wide, as if to embrace the whole city. As always, the image was comforting, and I was sure that today would be a good day.
It was so beautiful outside that when I entered the city that I parked by a sidewalk and continued on foot. The hospital wasn't so far away, and now I could stop in one of the little restaurants to eat. All along the street you could hear the cries of Ol'a, Bom dia, and Adeus. I inhaled deeply, taking in the familiar sounds and scents that were so dear to me. None of the restaurants so far seemed particularly inviting, so I continued down the sidewalk and around the corner, an unusual spring in my step.
After a while, I spotted a restaurant that I knew to serve traditional feijoada that was excellent, and so I entered. I asked for the dish with a strange enthusiasm—why was I so happy today—and received it with the usual "Bom apetite." The food tasted especially delicious today; I was so immersed in my meal that I almost didn't realize that my cell phone was ringing.
"Ol'a," I greeted warmly, not even knowing who it was. "Ab'ilio," said Estela without returning the greeting, "do not go to the hospital. Pai called me and he says that there is a new intern he is working with today—you don't need to go to work. Come home."
At this I laughed at loud. Boa sorte was definitely with me today—but I didn't know that luck brought such a good mood!
" Claro, Estela," I promised happily. "Muito obrigada. Adeus."
I fairly danced out of the restaurant, in the process trodding over the tail of a stray gato. He hissed at me reproachfully, and I smiled down at him in apology before starting off in the direction of my car.
But suddenly, out of nowhere, I heard the faint ring of a cell phone. It wasn't mine, or I would have felt it vibrating. Momentarily sidetracked, I listened for the sound again: and it was coming from a trash can beside me! I automatically reached for the phone. The bright sun was glinting off of it. It was a fine one, much better than the one I had. Probably some rich white man's phone.
Still, I answered it. "Ol'a?" I said curiously.
The voice on the other line—delightfully beautiful, but speaking quickly in a language I did not understand—was frantic. "Edward! Edward, listen to me—Edward?" I chuckled at the obvious mistake. "Com licenca," I said patiently. "Pode repetir isso?"
And then I heard the dial tone. Chuckling again, for no particular reason, I threw the cell phone back in the trash. I turned and was on my way again, towards home and Estela.
Today was turning out to be a wonderful day.
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Portuguese Translations:
Me noiva—My fiancé
Bom dia—Good day
Faz sol—It's sunny
Sim—Yes
Pai—Father
Faz sol hoje—It's sunny today
Acho que não—I don't think so
Adeus—Goodbye
Ol'a—Hello
Feijoada—A traditional food served in Rio
Bom apetite—Enjoy your meal
Boa sorte—Good luck
Claro—Of course
Muito obrigada—Thank you very much
Gato—Cat
Com licenca—Excuse me
Pode repetir isso—Can you repeat that please